By DPA
Kabul : Afghan and coalition forces killed at least 40 Taliban insurgents in two separate fire fights in southern Afghanistan, officials said Saturday.
Afghan police and coalition forces battled with suspected insurgents in Naw Abad area in Deh Yak district of southern Ghazni province on Friday, killing 18 rebels.
Another six were arrested, Alishah Ahmadzai, provincial police chief, told DPA.
“Five of the Taliban bodies are still in the battlefield,” said Ahmadzai, adding that the operation started after the combined forces received intelligence regarding the presence of “enemy forces” in the area, and that these planned to attack security check posts.
The joint forces arrested another six armed militants, while weapons and motorcycles were also seized, he added.
In a separate incident, Afghan and US-led coalition forces killed some two dozen insurgents in Regay area of Musa Qalah district of southern Helmand province Saturday, US military said in a statement.
The clash began after a group of rebels attacked a combat patrol of the combined forces with mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire from multiple compounds located inside the populated areas in northwestern Regay, it said.
The Afghan forces fought back and called in close air support, it said, adding, “In the fight that ensued, almost two dozen insurgents were killed.”
Musa Qalah district, which has been under the control of Taliban for the past several months, has seen a number of clashes in the past one week.
No Afghan, coalition or civilians were reported injured or killed during the fighting, it added.
Since spring, fighting has killed more than 4,200 people, mostly Taliban-led insurgents, in Afghanistan.